A journalist who visited Yorkshire Wildlife Park in the summer has described walking past the Amur tiger enclosure just weeks before William Chapman tragically died, saying he cannot fathom how the incident unfolded.
Alex Evans, Deputy Audience Editor, visited the Doncaster attraction at the end of July with his family. He recalls walking past the enclosure of Altai the tiger and a tigress on a bright Sunday afternoon, but says he only took away key impressions from the encounter.
Enclosure layout described
The enclosure is positioned beneath a walkway used by visitors. Upon entering the park, there are several areas housing various animals, with the tiger section situated a little further into the grounds, beyond the entrance gates. It takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes to reach the tiger pen, unless visitors bypass the wombats and monkeys in their eagerness to see the big cats.
The tigers are arguably the first truly headline attraction encountered as visitors make their way through the park, reached by crossing over a bridge. The enclosure is cleverly positioned so that the tigers roam a grassy area below, which gradually rises towards a treeline and a series of raised wooden plinths.
Walkway and fencing details
Visitors traverse a wooden bridge running along the outer edge of the tiger enclosure, roughly one storey above ground level. The layout appears well thought-out, as the ground directly beneath the walkway drops away sharply — a fall of around 15 feet or more from the bridge to the floor of the enclosure below. However, the gentle incline rising away from the walkway means the tigers frequently find themselves on higher ground, roughly level with visitors' eyelines, making them far easier to spot while remaining at a safe distance.
Approximately halfway along the bridge sits a thatched hut complete with benches and information points, giving visitors the chance to pause and take in the surroundings from the heart of the tiger enclosure walkway, with the added bonus of shelter on wet days. In addition, a mesh fence runs along the perimeter of both the bridge and walkway, which also angles away from visitors rather than sitting vertically.
Security measures and bafflement
This design appears intended to make it difficult to scale. The mesh itself is not attached to the walkway above, but is positioned just beyond and below it, meaning anyone attempting to gain access would need to leap onto it and then jump off again. Furthermore, it is believed the fence is electrified at its edge — warning signs regarding electrification were clearly visible, and Yorkshire Wildlife Park's website confirms that some of its enclosures feature electric fencing along their boundaries.
Taking all of this into consideration, it is genuinely baffling how this incident came to pass. While it is ultimately the responsibility of the police and the wildlife park to establish the facts, there was no glaring security flaw that stood out as an accident waiting to happen.
Sympathy and hopes for recovery
The sympathy here lies firmly with the victim, the animal, and the dedicated members of staff who have worked tirelessly to create a wonderful family attraction while raising vital funds to protect and conserve these critically endangered creatures.
For what it is worth, our two year old had an absolutely wonderful day, thoroughly enjoying the chance to see the polar bears, lions and monkeys. It is to be hoped that Yorkshire Wildlife Park can recover from such a devastating incident, while the victim's family receives all the support they so desperately need.
